This pollo asado recipe is the ultimate Mexican roast chicken, marinated in zesty citrus and spices, quickly grilled then roasted for big flavor. So tender and juicy!
Pollo Asado Recipe (Mexican Roast Chicken)
If you're looking for a super flavorful roast chicken recipe that is easy to make and truly satisfies, Pollo Asado will absolutely deliver.
Roasted chicken can be pretty boring sometimes. A lot of roasted chicken recipes wind up delivering bland chicken that leaves us wanting more.
Not so with pollo asado. This is a Latin American dish with lots of seasonings.
With pollo asado, flavor is built first by marinating the chicken in lot of citrus juice and a collection of seasonings, including achiote, which is vibrant and unique, as well as sazon, a popular Caribbean seasoning blend, along with other commonly used Mexican spices.
What is Pollo Asado?
The name, "pollo asado", means roasted or barbecued chicken, and cooking methods will vary from cook to cook. You'll find variations in Mexican, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Caribbean.
This is more of a Mexican version.
My favorite Mexican cookbook refers to it as grilled chicken, though their recipe pan sears the chicken first before roasting in the oven to finish.
I've adapted that recipe to use my grill, for more of a Mexican grilled chicken that is then finished in the oven.
I marinate with my favorite citrus and use my favorite seasonings for a roast chicken dish that is sure to satisfy the spicy food lover.
Let's talk about how to make pollo asado, shall we?
Pollo Asado Ingredients
- Chicken. Use a whole cut up chicken or your favorite parts, like leg thigh quarters, chicken breasts, or a combination. You can make this with boneless chicken, though will need to reduce the cooking time.
- Pollo Asado Marinade. Olive oil or vegetable oil, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, sazon, achiote powder, paprika (smoked paprika is great here), Mexican oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
- Garnish. Fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chili flakes.
About the Achiote
Achiote is the Mexican name for annato seeds, which are seeds that come from a tree that is commonly grown in the tropics of Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.
For centuries, they have been used for coloring purposes. These seeds impart a bright red color or yellow color to items such as body paint, cloth, as well as food.
Achiote is an important component of the dish, so I definitely recommend acquiring it. Learn more about what is achiote, and how to make achiote paste.
Buy Achiote (annato seeds) at Amazon (affiliate link, my friends!)
How to Make Pollo Asado - the Recipe Method
Pollo Asado Marinade. Mix together 1/2 cup olive oil, citrus juices (orange and lime juice), vinegar, garlic, sazon, achiote, paprika, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes and a bit of salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the chicken to a large platter or dish and pour in the marinade. Alternatively, you can use a large sealable bag.
Refrigerate and marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. 3 hours is best.
Just look at the gorgeous color of the chicken from all those wonderful seasonings, particularly vibrant achiote.
Grill the Chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Sprinkle the chicken with extra sazon and achiote powder.
Grill the chicken pieces 5 minutes per side.
Roast the Chicken. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Set the grilled chicken into a baking dish or cast iron pan and roast the chicken for 20 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through, turning half way through and basting often for the first 10 minutes with the reserved marinade.
Cook the chicken 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. internally when checked with a meat thermometer.
Garnish and serve! I love mine with corn tortillas and toppings, like my favorite spicy guacamole, onions, cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chiles toreados (Mexican blistered jalapenos), so I can tear off the tender, juicy chicken and make tacos.
So good!
Serve it with Arroz Verde (Green Rice)!
Boom! Done! Pollo asado is ready to serve! This is the best roast chicken on the planet, my friends. We really love this recipe.
So delicious, huge on flavor. Making this again very soon!
Recipe Tips & Notes
There are different ways to cook pollo asado. See below.
Simple Roasting Method. If you prefer, you can skip the grill and simply roast the chicken for 30 minutes, or until it cooks through.
You can turn on the broiler and broil the chicken the last few minutes to get a nice char on the skin.
Simple Grill Method. You can also skip the oven and finish roasting the chicken on the grill.
To do so, after grilling the chicken over direct heat, move the chicken to the other side of the grill with the burners off for indirect cooking, or just lower the heat to medium low heat, and roast until it cooks through to 165 degrees F. internally with an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
I love this on my charcoal grill. Extra flavor!
Variations. As mentioned, this is a Mexican version of pollo asado. My Puerto Rican cookbook uses a very simple marinade of only oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper.
I love the Mexican version with many more seasonings. You can use lard in place of oil.
Lemon juice is commonly used in the marinade.
Best Chicken for Pollo Asado
I enjoy using bone-in chicken for this recipe, as you'll get more flavor from the bones.
Use a whole chicken, cut up, or grab select pieces from the grocery store. Chicken leg and thigh quarters are great here, as is chicken breast.
You can very easily make this with boneless chicken, but reduce the cooking time, as it will cook through to temperature much more quickly.
If using boneless chicken, use either chicken breast or chicken thighs.
Storage & Leftovers
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will keep up to 5 days this way. I often like to tear the meat from the bones and use it for other meals, like adding to soups, stews, or for making tacos.
You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer. It freezes quite well.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this pollo asado recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you love traditional Mexican cooking, I love this cookbook with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended.
- Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Chicken Tinga (Chipotle Shredded Chicken)
- Rajas Poblanas
- Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew)
- Sofritas
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Pozole
- Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Chicken)
- Chicken Paprikash (Paprika Chicken)
- Doro Wat (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
- Mexican Birria
- Albondigas Soup (Caldo de Albondigas)
- Carne Asada (Grilled Steak)
- Chicken al Pastor
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Pollo Asado Recipe (Mexican Roast Chicken)
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds chicken parts bone-in, skin on - use a whole cut up chicken or your favorite parts, like leg thigh quarters, breasts, etc
- 1/2 cup olive oil + more as needed
- Juice from 1 large orange
- Juice from 1 large lime
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sazon + more for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon achiote powder + more for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon paprika or use cayenne for more heat
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR GARNISH: Fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chili flakes
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken. Mix together 1/2 cup olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, sazon, achiote, paprika, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes and a bit of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to a large platter or dish and pour in the marinade. Alternatively, you can use a large sealable bag. Refrigerate and marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. 3 hours is best.
- Grill the Chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Heat your grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Sprinkle the chicken with extra sazon and achiote powder. Grill the chicken pieces 5 minutes per side.
- Roast the Chicken. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Set the grilled chicken into a baking dish or cast iron pan and roast the chicken for 20 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through, turning half way through and basting often for the first 10 minutes with the reserved marinade. The chicken should measure 165 degrees F. internally when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Garnish and serve! Discard any remaining marinade.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/9/23 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 3/10/21.
Keith says
Tried this recipe last night paired with Mexican rice and I cannot remember eating such succulent chicken. Everything was really tasty although I think I need to spice it up a bit but other than that a real treat which I shall definitely doing again.
Started the chicken on the grill then finished it off in the air fryer.
Mike H. says
Wonderful, Keith. Definitely spice it up more if you'd like that - enjoy!
Lisa says
This was really tasty! I was surprised how moist the breast turned out because they usually dry out. I roasted mine since it's too cold to grill right now, but I think it will be even better to grill it a bit before finishing in the oven. Leftovers made a great soup!
Mike H. says
Thank you for the review, Lisa!
Sky Uptwist says
Mike - Did you use distilled white or apple cider vinegar?
Mike Hultquist says
I really like apple cider vinegar for this, but any will work. Use your favorite.
Cindy says
What brand of sazon do you use?
Mike Hultquist says
Cindy, I use a homemade blend. See my Sazon Recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/sazon-seasoning/
Anne says
Hey Mike! Will make this today. Curious what is your favorite Mexican cookbook that you referred to? Any others that you could recommend? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Anne! I have an Amazon Shop with all of my Recommended Cookbooks there. Check it out: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chilipeppermadness/list/ZQUZNJ178ZKH
David Lederer says
Mike, it says to baste the chicken as you roast the chicken in the marinade sauce after its use on the chicken as a marinade. is this a good idea after the uncooked chicken sat in the marinade? Please advise. I love all your posts !!! Big time fan !!!
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, David! Only baste for the first 10 minutes, then cook for another 20 or until the chicken is done. It's perfectly safe to baste a bit early on for moisture and flavor, as it continues to cook. Just don't baste at the end. The marinade needs to be cooked off. Let me know if this helps. I greatly appreciate it! Let me know if you have any more questions!
David Lederer says
Mike, Thanks for the response! Your recipes are awesome. I made this chicken on Thursday and I paired it with the Aji Verde sauce from your Christmas recipe post. What a hit !!!! I truly enjoy all your posts!!! A fan for life....
David from Myrtle Beach SC
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, David!
DIana says
I used to have a grill, but I never mastered it so I gave it away. I cooked these with the oven instructions.
I used the leg/thigh combo you can get at butcher. I had all the ingredients, including the achiote and sazon because I live in an area with plenty of mercados. (Not to brag.)
Anyway, the chicken was delicious - maybe more so on a grill, but what we ate from my oven was about perfect. I had to cook for 30 minutes because not all ovens are alike. I was a little fretful that my chicken would dry out once I went past 20 minutes. But my thermometer told me to keep going. It turned it out succulent.
Mike H. says
Thank you for the review, Diana. I am glad to hear you've enjoyed it!
Richard Henderson says
I’ve been using your recipe for years and have loved it. I’ve read that adding chipotles to it make it more authentic, true? Just chop they up with the marinade?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Richard. Chipotles would be a nice flavor addition. Personal choice! Enjoy!!
James Robinson says
Used 2 whole cut up chickens, doubled the marinade, used cayenne along with the paprika and plenty of crushed chilies, invited the neighbors and threw down for Cinco De Mayo. This recipe was a huge hit! Thanks Mike! I use your recipes all the time and have steered many friends on to your recipe site.
Mike H. says
I am really happy to hear that, James. Thank you!
Cynthia Batty says
This was delicious!! Couldn’t find achiote easily so had to skip it this time. Also didn’t grill the chicken thighs. Baked at 450 skin side down for 20 minutes, then flipped and finished skin side up with the rest of the marinade poured over. Pan juices were a great sauce. Guests loved it and so did we!
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds wonderful!! Thanks for sharing, Cynthia! I love it.
Darrin says
I couldn’t find achiote in the stores either. Ordered from Amazon I had it the next day. I haven’t made it yet. Going to make it tomorrow.
Steph says
This has become my go-to asado recipe! Delicious every time! I like to roast mine with a couple of cut-up onions in the pan, too (or green ones) and serve with charred tortillas and plenty of fresh guac! Thank you for posting!
Mike H. says
Delicious Steph. I am glad that you are enjoying it!
AG says
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a super duper hit even my extremely picky son loved it and polished it off! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, AG. Enjoy!